Water valve for compressors



March 2 1926.

5. B. REDF|ELD WATER VALVE FOR COMPRESSORS Filed May 16, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V E N TO R JnourdenBBccZfie/d ms ATTO'R Y March. 2 1926. 1,57%,758

I S. B. REDFIELD WATER VALVE FOR COMPRESSORS Filed May 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR gnowdenb-fledfield Patented Mar. 2, 1926u firti'ili f fi stares; unrsnownnu 1;.- REDFIELD, on JEASTON, r nnnsvnvaum, ess enon TO inennsonn nnnn COMPANY, or JERSEY oITY, NEW-JERSEY, A cenrogi iarron onnnyv JERSEY:

VALVE FOECOMPRESSORS.

'1 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LSNoWDnN B. Rnni inno, acitizen of the United. States, a resident of Easton, county of Northampton, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented acertain Water Valve for Compressors, 'ot which'the following is a specification, accompanied. by drawings.

This invention relates to compressois hut morevparticularly to means for controlling the supply of, cooling water to a compressor.

The primary object of the present invention is. to enable the cooling Water supplied to a compressor to, be. automatically controlled by the speed of the compressor so that cooling water will be admitted after the compressor has attained asufficient speed, and shut ofi as. the con pressorstops.

A further object of this invention is to enable the cooling waterhsupplied tov the compressor to be controlled. by an, unloader and pilot valves, or by pilot Valves alone, Which automatically controltheioper ation oi the Water valve.

Further objects of theinvention will hereinatter appear, and theinvention is. shown in onelo'l' its preferred forms in the accompanying drawings, in which-e Figure 1 is a side .elevational view partly in longitudinal section of a compressor unit with the water val ve connectedthereto, and

Figure 2 is a sideelevational view partly in longitudinalsectionof a compressor unit, and showing another-manner for controlling the operationof the Water valve. I

l teferringto thedr-awings, the compressor A has a cylinder '13, inlet valves C. dis charge valves; E communicating with the discharge chamber F. The. discharge chamber F is in communication with the discharge line G. The piston H is-adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder B and to be driven by some suitable source of power, an 316% tric motor, (not shown) A cooling water 45 jacket J partially encloses. the cylinder B, and the inlet line K and discharge l ne L connected thereto provide for circulation of the cooling water around the cylinder B;

A discharge unloader O: as shown ii Fig ure 1 is. connected to the discharge line G and is provided with a main check valve P adapted to be forced to its seat inathe 'Qillllltloll It by the -combined pressure of the huid in the, receiver S and thecoilspringT,

when the compressor "is, idle llhewcheclfivalve-Y1 isr gaidedpon the capfscr eiv Uglw'hic screw also serves as a closure one; end of the unloaden O,

A lie v vevs axl -ra e te e m e to,its seat in; the wall,Xnofitheiunloader casing to close theatmospheric vent Y in the casing extension Z The relief; valveV has limited movenrent inthe p-iston a which is, providediwith i an enlarged head 7),, adapt ed to-be force d to itsseatW byfluid pressure admitted in; the, rear, o tithe I head 7;, from main discharge valvefchainbernd. U i l Eh'e operation, of: the unloader- O is cono l I n hi i stants it i t a ve and B connected tolthe compresso vcyliirder B adj acent each, end thereof. I "like unloader and pilot valves shownjn the dnawingiare of the same construction and operate in, similar I manner to those. shown,andndescribed in my rp ndi e nrli a cn e al; e. 39, 59, filed 1 6;, 1923. v description thereof istherefore, deemedunnecessary here, and 'only the; essential details i -operaticnand construction of, the u nloaderuand pilot valves will; be herein desctibed sufficient. to enable those "skilled in the art to which this inventionrelates, to, understand econs etion t Sam The pilot valves -A and B which, are identical in their construction, are composed oi -upper casing, sections a, lowercasing sections 1), held together rin sany suitable manner. .A piston cthas, ancniarged head d whichis adapted to. .be forced to its seat e? by pressure fluidrfromthe compressor cylinder B. A plunger. f has limited; movement in the piston 0 o ver'a g, Whichpasses through, the transverse aperture h in the plunger, [and has its ends secured in the piston c. The plungerjf', urged. forwardly by the comparatively heavy o'i 1;.s ri ng.1f is adapted to bear against seat the; ball check valve y'fl'which cont ls the atinhs pheric vent Zc/{in the casing Sctioncf. The ball valve y'f, urged from its. seat by the coil spring gv is spaced from the ball checkivalve 0, by thespacer pin 72". i

The check valve rha ving-a small hole- 8 is prevented from being rnioved too great a d stance from its seat a coil spririgt, and contr s c rtemndst pa s i oif Pl- S= sure fluid from the i ws]: casing tatics if to the; ccmpressor eylhi en, through the? port of the pilot valve B is in communication with the port y of the pilot valve A by the pipe or tube a. r

The unloader O and pilot valves A and B are preferably connected in series, as above described, so that on starting, sutli cient fluid pressure is admitted behind the enlarged head I) of the piston a to force it to its seat 0 thereby closing the relief valve V and shutting off the flow of pressure fluid from the main discharge valve chamber at to atmosphere through the vent Y. This operation does not take place until the piston H has attained a pre-determined speed, as pointed out in my co-pending application.

On stopping, the differential pressure created in the cylinder B on both sides of the piston H will actuate the pilot valves A and B, in such a manner that pressure fluid will berelieved to atmosphere from behind the enlarged head I) of the piston a. Any pressure fluid remaining in the cylinder B will pass to atmosphere through the vent Y in the extension Z of the unloader casing, so that the compressor is completely unloaded when the compressor piston H finally stops.

It is highly desirable to regulate the flow of cooling water to the cylinder jacket J so that on starting of the compressor, cooling water will be admitted to the jacket and, on stopping, the supply of cooling water will be automatically shut off. In accordance with my invention, I provide a water valve 6 having a casing 7 which closed at its top by a plate 7. A piston /i, normally held in its upward position by a coil spring j, adapted to be actuated in one direction in the casing f by fluid pressure, and controls the movement of a stem k, which has one end in contact with the in side of the piston. The stem is is guided in the wall 0, and carries a valve head )'at its lower end. The valve head 19 cooperates with the valve seat q for shutting off and preventing the flow of cooling water tothe jacket J of the compressor. A coil spring r, one end of which seats against the cap screw 8 and the other end of which bears against the under side of the valve 79, urges the valve head 79 to its seat 9.

A pipe 6 is connected at oneend to the plate of the watervalve e, and at its other end to the main discharge valve chamber (l of the unloader 0 so that a communication is formed between the main discharge valve chamber d and the water valve casing 7" above the piston 71,. For controlling the amount of cooling water flowing through the inlet line K to the cylinder jacket J, I provide any suitable valve to in the inlet line K. This valve also controls the amount of cooling water passing through the water valve 6.

lVhen the compressor is under load and the piston H has attained a sufiicient speed, pressure fluid is admitted from the main discharge valve chamber d through the pilot valves A and B to the extension Z of the unloader casing, rearwardly of the piston 11.. The enlarged head 6 of the piston a is thereby moved to its seat 0. At the same time, the relief valve V is moved to its seat W, and closes the passage of pressure fluid from the main discharge valve chamber d to atmospherethrough the vent Y. lVhen this condition has been reached, pressure fluid flows through the pipe or tube 6 to the water valve 6 above the piston h. The piston h, and the stem is are thereupon forced downwardly compressing the coil spring j. The valve head 79,. carried by the stem Ac, is thereby unseated from its seat q, and the passage of cooling water from the inlet line K to the cylinder jacket J is permitted.

As the compressor stops, the pressure in rear of the enlarged head Z) of the unloader piston a, will be relieved to atmosphere by the alternate operation of the pilot valves A and B. The pressure in the main discharge valve chamber (Z is then suifieient to unseat the relief valve V and move the unloader piston a rearwardly, so that, the pressure fluid in the discharge valve chamber (1 may be relieved to atmosphere through the vent Y. The pressure fluid in the pipe or tube t above the piston it also passes to atmosphere through the vent Y and the coil spring moves the piston 7L upwardly, seating the valve head 79 and preventing further flow of cooling water through the inlet line K to the cylinder jacket J.

The cooling water supplied to the cylinder jacket J is automatically controlled by the speed of the compressor so that cooling water admitted to the cylinder jacket on the starting of the compressor and com pletely shut oil as the compressor stops.

There are certain cases where a eompressor is required to start under relatively low air pressure, pumped up to some final pressure. considerably higher. The motors for operating these compressors are designed for the power at higher pressures. In such cases, especially with direct current motors, it is readily possible to start the compressor without any starting unloader.

In such cases, especially in places where water is expensive, it is advisable to control the water-to start and stop in unison with the compressor. Forthis service, itis possible to applythe water valve without the starting unloader, 1511 the modification shown in Figure 2, I have shown-,a water valve coperating, by the pilot valves which are connected in series to the water valve. The pilot valves, in this instance, operate directly upon the, water valve to admit the cooling water when the compressor starts, and to shut oil the flow of water when the compressor stops.

One starting of the compressor, a differential, pressure is created in the compressor cylinder B. This differential pressure prevents the passage of fluid from the discharge line G of the compressor to the water valve 0 above the piston h. When the compressor is starting, and the piston is moving in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, pressure fluid from the compressor cylinder moves the piston 2 and plunger 3 of the pilot valve A upwardly and seats the ball check 4, thereby closing the passage of fluid at atmosphere through the vent 5, in the pilot valve casing. At thesame time, the ball check valve 6 is unseated by the spacer pin 7. As the compressor piston H is on its suction stroke relative to the pilot valve B,

the piston 8 and plunger 9 therein move.

downwardly, due to the flow of pressure fluid from the lower section of the pilot valve to the compressor cylinder, the eutrance of atmospheric air through the vent 10 in the pilot valve casing and the coil spring 12. The ball check valve 11 is seated by the coil spring 12, thus shutting off the passage of pressure fluid from the discharge line G. The ball check valve 14 is unseated by the coil spring 12 acting against the ball valve 11 and spacer pin 13 thereby permitting pressure fluid from the water valve 6 to pass through the pipe or tube 15 to atmosphere through the vent 10 in the side of the pilot valve casing.

As the compressor piston moves in the opposite direction, the operation of the pilot valves above described is reversed and no pressure fluid is admitted to the piston h of the water valve 0 from the discharge line i G until the compressor has attained a suitflcicnt speed, so that the pistons and plungers of the pilot valves are held in their forward position and the check valves 6 and 11 in the pilot valves A and B respectively are held unseated. hen this condition has been reached, passage of fluid is permitted from the discharge line G- successively through the pipe 16, pilot valve A, pipe 17, pilot valve B and the pipe 15, to the water valve 6 moving the piston 7b downwardly and unseating the valve head p to permit the flow of cooling water to the jacket J.

As the compressor is stopping, the alternate rising and falling of the plungers and.

pistons in the pilot valves A and: B, alternatelypermit;.pressu=re fluid, troni the Wat r valve c to, pass-to atmosphere through the I vents 5, and 1,0; in'the, pilot valves A, ant B respectively, and the pressure fluid from the discharge line G having been cut off alternately by the :ball valves 6, and llji'jllGlGbY relievingethe pressu ge abo-ve-theapiston 7: ol tlquawater valvetoperm t the C011 springs J and r to move the piston h and stem k up ing water to the compressor cylinder, of a plurality of pilot valves in communication with the discharge line of the compressor and connected in series with the water valve, whereby cooling water is admitted to the compressor cylinder after the compressor has attained a predetermined speed, and shut oil as the compressor stops.

2. In a compressor, thecombination with a valve adapted to be connected to a compressor for controlling the supply of cooling water to the compressor cylinder, of a plurality of pilot valves in communication with the discharge line of the compressor and connected to the compressor cylinder for controlling the opening and the closing of the water valve in accordance with pressure in the compressor cylinder. 7

3. In a compressor, the combination with a valve adapted to be connected to a compressor for controlling the supply of cooling water to the compressor cylinder, means for regulating the amount of water flowing past the valve, of a plurality of pilot valves in communication with the discharge line of the compressor and connected in series with the water valve, whereby cooling water is admitted to the compressor cylinder after the compressor has attained a predetermined speed, and shut off as the compressor stops.

4-. In a compressor, the combination with a water. valve for jacket water, comprising a piston, a stem bearing against and adapted to be moved by the piston, a valve head on the stem, a valve, a valve seat, means connected to the valve head tending to -force the valve head to the seat, means within the piston tending to seat the valve head, of a pluraliy of pilot valves in communication with the discharge line of the compressor, and connected in series to the water valve.

5. The combination comprising a com pressor, unloading means for said compressor cooling water control means, means for allowing pneumatic actuation of both. of said means, and means whereby said latter means is controlled by the speed of said compressor. V

6. The combination comprising a compressor, a receiver, unloading means for said compressor, cooling Water control means,

means connectingboth of said means to said receiver to be actuated by fluid under pres sure including means common to both of said devices, and a speed responsive controlling device connected to said common means.

In testimony whereof I have signed this: specification.

SNOW DEN B. REDFIELD. 

